I'd Like to Walk Around In Your Mind Someday
by redskiez
Summary: Obito has always been content with being just another alpha in the Akatsuki and he has come to understand that his work partner, Deidara, is a beta. Nothing about that was supposed to change. Until it did.
1. Chapter 1

Beta'd by frozenCinders.

* * *

Deidara has been looking out of sorts all week.

He'd ask him what's wrong, maybe even up his game and make his partner some soup, but Deidara never stays long enough for him to breach that topic. He always slinks back into his rooms, or whatever other room there is, after a while.

Obito is beginning to think that Deidara is avoiding him. What could Tobi have possibly done to make Deidara this upset? He has never seen him like this before, not even when he was fresh-faced and just escaped from his village.

"Tobi," comes Deidara's voice from the other side of the room. "We're going out."

"Where to, senpai?" Tobi asks.

Deidara doesn't reply immediately. He just looks at the ground and at his hands for a long time and then he says, "Just out, yeah."

Obito doesn't think it's wise to ask any more questions so he lets this answer be satisfactory. He follows Deidara's orders and grabs his cloak. He throws the cloak over his shoulders and slips his arms into the sleeves.

"Don't—"

"Huh?" Tobi asks. He looks up at Deidara.

"Nothing," Deidara says and then he is out of the room.

It is a shame that this is not an unfamiliar sight for Tobi. Tobi finishes dressing up and he fills a water bottle and shoves some crackers into his pockets.

They don't seem to be going anywhere. They have a mission report in less than three hours so he doesn't know why Deidara is insisting on wandering now. Ever since being partnered up with Sasori, Deidara picked up his habit of insisting on being on time.

Obito doesn't mind. It's easy to remember to be on time when Deidara insists on being a little terror.

They pass by the same store for the third time.

Obito decides that he doesn't want to walk around in circles anymore and says, "What are we doing, Deidara-senpai?"

"We're walking, hm," Deidara says. He sounds different but Obito doesn't know how. He is looking at his hands again, and Obito can tell that he's glancing at the store. Obito follows his gaze and sees that it is a pharmacy.

"Are you feeling ill, Deidara-senpai?" Tobi asks. There is a strange feeling deep inside Obito's chest that tells him he should know.

"No," Deidara says. "Yes," he corrects.

"No, or yes?" Tobi asks.

"Yes," Deidara says meekly.

"Are you okay?" Tobi asks.

"No," Deidara admits.

"Why haven't you said anything?" Tobi asks. He steps closer to Deidara and pretends not to hear Deidara squeak. He puts a reassuring hand on Deidara's shoulder and finds it strange that he can feel the heat even through his glove. Deidara is not wearing his cloak. "You're burning up," Tobi says.

"Yes," Deidara replies and then he is stepping closer to Tobi.

"Let's get you some medicine," Tobi says. "But the fever is a good sign," he says. "It means your body is battling."

"Hm."

"Come on," Tobi says and he guides Deidara toward the store. He places his other hand on his other shoulder and grips hard. Every instinct in his body is burning and he doesn't understand why.

The structure of their society is strange. Obito never bothered with understanding too much of it when he witnessed a potential mate pass away. He never bothered looking for another. He assumed, back when he didn't think it was a big deal, that he'd bed some nearest omega in heat and be done with it. That was one way to continue the Uchiha bloodline.

As he grew older, however, the sight of other alphas with mates made him wonder if he should settle down too, with someone he might be able to call a good friend.

He didn't know. He thought about it for a long time.

The smell of the store is pungent. It masks every scent in the room and Obito feels put off that he can't immediately tell who is who.

Deidara stops walking and Obito walks into him. Deidara lets out a sound and he presses back against him.

"Hey, you okay?" Tobi asks. "Do you want me to find pills for you, senpai?"

"You don't," Deidara says and he cuts himself off. "I don't think," he says again but then he trails off. "Can I do it on my own, please, yeah?"

Tobi looks at Deidara for a long, long time. He doesn't understand.

"I'm doing it on my own," Deidara says when Obito doesn't say anything. He sounds like he's announcing it. Obito lets Deidara go. He watches as Deidara wanders down the aisles of herbs and spices and other pills, a mix of western and eastern.

He turns to the clerk at the counter.

"Give me something for fevers," Obito says.

The clerk stops reading the newspaper and looks up at him. He's chewing gum, a constant smack-smack sound that drives Obito nuts. Obito takes a step forward. The clerk leans forward, takes a deep breath, and stops chewing.

"Sorry," he says. He spits out his gum and tosses it into a trash can. He puts down the newspaper and reaches inside the desk. He pulls out pills and jars and some bottles too. "What kind of fever are you dealing with, sir?"

"A common one, for my friend," he says. Obito jabs his finger in the aisle.

The clerk follows his finger. He doesn't seem to find Deidara. The clerk looks back down at the bottles and jars and boxes. "This one is good for any type of fever," he says and pushes the small box toward Obito.

"Good," Obito says and he reaches for it. He tosses some coin down.

The clerk accepts the coin and writes down the bill. "Oh," he says and then he reaches over the counter to fish into one of the buckets of herbs. He fills up a baggie. "Cook and drink this every night and it will make sure what's causing the fever won't come back. Put in half a pinch until you finish it. Make sure it's completely boiled into the water. It should look black."

Obito accepts the baggie. He reaches into his cloak for more coin.

"No need," the clerk says. "It's on the house." He reaches for the bill. Suddenly he stops and then looks in the mirror placed in the corner of the store.

"Your friend," the clerk says.

Obito turns and looks at the corner of the store. Deidara is reflected in the mirror. He sighs through his nose and tosses the coin on the table anyway.

"For whatever he's eating," Obito says and he pockets the fever pills and the herbs. Obito heads further back into the store and places a hand on Deidara's shoulder.

"What are you doing, senpai?" Tobi asks.

Deidara grunts out something that Tobi cannot make out and pushes Tobi's hand away.

"Leave me alone," Deidara bites out. He sounds more like his usual self now but there's still something strange in the air. He can barely make it out through the thick scent of herbs but the fragrance is hard to mistake. Did an omega walk by?

"I got you some pills and herbs for the fever, senpai," says Tobi. He takes them out of his pockets to show it to Deidara.

Deidara takes one look at them and says, "I don't need them, hm."

"But senpai," Tobi begins but then he stops because he finally reads the label on the pills Deidara is holding.

"Those are…" Obito trails off and then the scent makes sense.

"None of your business," Deidara screams. "Leave me alone, hm!" he shouts.

Tobi stops Deidara before he could put his hand into his pouch — he didn't realize he had put on his utility belt when they came out — and says, "Senpai, you can't do that here. This is a pharmacy."

"Stop touching me, you dolt, hm," says Deidara.

"I will when we're out of here," Tobi says.

"Uncharacteristic of you, Tobi," says Deidara. He has a smile on his face. Tobi doesn't like this smile.

They walk out. Obito gives an apologetic nod to the clerk who just shakes his head. Tobi drags Deidara out of the small town and finally lets his wrist go when they are a safe distance in the nearby woods.

Deidara moves as though he is going to make a bomb. Tobi tenses.

"Lighten up," Deidara says and then he laughs. He stops laughing after five chuckles and he lowers his arm to his side. They are quiet.

Quiet doesn't suit either of them, Obito thinks. He thinks of what to say. Without the cloud of spices and herbs and pills to mask everything, Deidara's scent is more prominent but it is fading. The pills are kicking in. He thinks of what to say.

He stops himself from thinking about Deidara. He doesn't want to imagine Deidara's body heat pressed right up against his. He feels warm. His entire body feels a little too warm. He must smell like it too because Deidara is taking a step back.

"There's nothing wrong with being an omega, senpai," Tobi says hurriedly.

"As if you understand," Deidara replies. "What are the rest of the Akatsuki, yeah?"

"Mr. Hidan isn't an alpha," says Tobi.

Deidara gives him a look and says, "He is a beta."

"He doesn't act like one, though," Tobi laughs and then he quiets himself when Deidara says nothing. "I get it," he says. "I'm sorry, senpai."

It makes sense. Most of Deidara's actions make sense. He tries so hard to prove himself – his art. He never really even talks about himself, only his art. He never puts emphasis on the creator, only the creation.

Obito feels bad. Even if he couldn't have known, he still feels bad. He should have paid more attention, especially since his coming of age was with the Akatsuki. He thinks that he must have gone through hell. Somehow, he cannot forgive himself for this.

"I'll get you more of those pills, senpai," Tobi decides to say. "You don't have to worry."

It had always bugged Obito that he couldn't tell what Deidara was. It will bug him even more now that he knows.

Deidara looks at him for a long time and then he nods. He looks down at the box of pills he downed. He holds it up to him and Obito takes it. He tries not to think about the way their hands brushed against each other. The feeling lingers as Obito lowers his hand to his side, the empty box in hand.

Deidara nods again and says, "Thank you, Tobi, hm."

* * *

Hey guys, Red here!

Anonymous said:  
Yo robin from PR here. When is anyone gonna ask you for a good tobidei where its an omegaverse. Like some good alpha /omega stuff. You write really well and I would love it if u took a shot at that please. And yes there's none of that out there. I looked (have fun)

This work is almost halfway finished. I've got 8 chapters written right now and I am currently working on the 9th, so I will upload them on a weekly basis. Remember to subscribe to the story so that you know when a new chapter is going up!

The prompt gave me a good excuse on working on an A/B/O fic because I've always wanted to do it but I didn't think anyone wanted that.

This fic is dedicated to the anon that sent me the prompt. Hope you will enjoy it.

Remember to leave a review!

If you haven't already, you should follow me on Tumblr (redskiez dot net).

Did you know that I have a ko-fi? You can go to ko-fi dot com slash redskiez to buy me a coffee!


	2. Chapter 2

Beta'd by frozenCinders.

* * *

Obito thinks that it must be very hard being an omega.

He doesn't have any frame of reference, of course. The only other omega he's known was his grandmother and their time together wasn't long. According to his grandmother, his entire line was dominated by alphas.

She said it wouldn't be a surprise if he turned out to be an alpha too.

"You take after your great ancestor," she'd say sometimes as she set dinner down on the table. "You remind me of him the most. Even your father couldn't compare."

Obito never had any first-hand memories of his father but he was an alpha too. His mother was a beta and that's all Obito knows of his family. His grandmother never talked about his grandfather.

They don't know their ranks until their coming of age. His grandmother never got to find out if Obito was an alpha or not. She had worried that he wouldn't be but still clung onto hope when he displayed a rivalry between another potential alpha.

He wishes she could see him now and be proud of him, though he doesn't know what he wants her to see, exactly.

He takes the box of suppressants from his pocket and raps on the door.

He is ultra-aware of Deidara's movements nowadays. He can practically see Deidara shuffle from one end of the room to the other in order to reach the door.

"Who is it?" Deidara asks even though he already knows who it is.

"It's me, senpai," Tobi says, "I got you your suppressants."

He hears the door unlock and it creaks open. Obito holds his breath and hands the box to Deidara. When Deidara takes it from his hands, he turns to leave.

"Wait," Deidara says.

Tobi stops walking but he doesn't turn. He is still holding his breath.

"Stay, yeah," Deidara says.

"I can't," Tobi says. The room is suffocating. Deidara's scent is completely overwhelming. He is surprised that no other member of the Akatsuki has caught this yet. He digs his nails into his palms.

He hears Deidara shuffle away. The box opens and a few pills break the seal. Deidara sits down on the floor. "Please," he says.

Tobi walks toward the door and hears Deidara's shaky breath. He sighs and shuts the door, making sure it is locked.

The room is awfully silent as Tobi sits down on the floor. He rests his back against the door and looks up at the ceiling. He thinks of what to say but whenever a topic comes to mind, the words die on his tongue every time he moves to speak them.

Deidara's scent is too overwhelming. It is too thick and too sweet and Obito wonders why he smells so good.

Obito tries to open his mouth to speak again but once he takes in a breath, Deidara's pheromones assault him. He chokes silently and his cock jumps at the scent of an available omega.

He shouldn't be here.

"I can't be here," Tobi says.

"I know, hm," is all Deidara says. He doesn't move to kick Tobi out, nor does Obito move to leave the room.

"Sorry," Tobi says.

"For what?" Deidara asks. He opens the box again and takes a few pills. Obito doesn't think that's a good idea.

"For being here," Tobi says.

"I asked you to stay, hm," Deidara says.

Obito wonders why. He looks down at the floor and toys with his fingers. Obito doesn't dare speak again until the scent in the room waters down a little. A window has been open this entire time. Obito is even more surprised at the lack of response within the Akatsuki.

His pants feel rough and he strains against his underwear. Deidara clears his throat and so does Tobi.

"Maybe I should go," Tobi says.

"I'd rather you not," Deidara replies.

"Why not?"

"You make it a little bit more bearable."

Obito doesn't understand what that means. He digs his nails into his palms again and some of his spittle catches in his throat. He chokes once more.

"It sounds weird, doesn't it?" Deidara asks.

"Not really," he says. "Just a bit confusing."

"Part of me wants, you know, this," Deidara says and gestures, "but another part of me loathes authority. It's hard to balance that, hm."

"I get it," Tobi says.

"The smell of you kind of confuses my monkey brain, hm."

"I see," Obito says. After a time, he says, "I'm glad I can help."

"Me too," Deidara says.

They fall silent again. A gust of wind blows into the room and sends a thick wave of Deidara's scent to his direction. He adjusts himself as subtly as he can but Deidara notices. The air shifts but the wind carries that away too quickly for him to really react.

Obito clears his throat. Deidara mirrors him.

"You know, Tobi," Deidara says after a bit.

"Hm?"

"I'm glad you're an alpha," Deidara says. Obito furrows his eyebrows in confusion and Deidara laughs at it. He says, "I trust you, yeah."

"You do?"

Deidara scoffs. "I know," he says, "I was surprised too."

Tobi snorts.

"But it is what it is," says Deidara, "and you're a good guy. A little bit annoying most of the time, but you know what teamwork is, hm."

"Didn't Sasori?"

Deidara's face twists and Obito realizes how jealous he sounds. Deidara must be able to tell. "That old man wouldn't know teamwork even if his enemies performed it right in front of him, yeah."

"That's a funny way to say it, senpai."

"Shut up, Tobi," Deidara says.

Obito is glad that the Deidara he knows is back, at least for a while.

"Master Sasori always thought he was better than everyone else, hm."

"Oh, is it because he thinks his art is the best?" Tobi asks.

Deidara is giving him a look, he can feel it. "That and also because he was able to shed these needs."

"Huh?"

"He didn't have a rank, hm," Deidara says.

"How?"

"I don't know," Deidara says. "I guess when the only thing left of you that's remotely human is a blob of purple flesh kind of just removes all pheromones you're supposed to naturally make, yeah."

Obito remembers seeing that bit of him. It's disgusting and enough to dampen the effect Deidara's scent has on him. His erection wilts a little.

"But he did tell me he was an omega too, hm," says Deidara.

Tobi scoffs before he can even stop himself. "That makes sense too," he says. "You guys only ever talk about your art."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Tobi says, shoulders coming up to his ears.

"We're not inferior to you," Deidara says.

"No," Tobi says hurriedly, "I know. It's just that, you know, omegas don't often talk or think about themselves. I've just noticed."

Deidara falls silent and then he nods. He says, "Yeah, I've noticed that too."

"I'm sorry I didn't notice that you're… you know, earlier."

Deidara is confused.

"I could have asked Mr. Leader to make me Zetsu's partner," Tobi says. "Or, you know, kept my distance." He can be touchy sometimes.

"I like it."

"What?" Tobi asks.

He hears Deidara take a deep breath and then choke a bit. Deidara clears his throat and says, "I don't know, hm. You don't scare me like the rest of the Akatsuki."

Tobi is quiet.

"I mean, you're like the rest of them, very eager to be in this organization," says Deidara, "but you're not intimidating like them. Not your typical alpha, I guess."

"Oh-kay," Tobi says.

"Not trying to offend," Deidara says. He can feel that he's getting a little agitated.

"No offense taken," Tobi replies.

Deidara's scent smooths back down. "That's what I like about you, hm," Deidara says. "You're an oddball."

Obito looks back up to face Deidara. His cheeks are blotched pink.

"Like you?" Tobi says.

Deidara looks at him and toys with the empty box of suppressants. "Like me," he says and continues to blush.

* * *

Hey guys, Red here!

This fic will be updated every Wednesday. Follow to get a notification for new chapters.

Follow me on Tumblr (redskiez dot net) and I also have a ko-fi (ko-fi dot com forward slash redskiez).


	3. Chapter 3

Beta'd by frozenCinders.

* * *

After a week, Deidara finally catches up with the suppressants he had missed. His scent fades just in time. The last meeting with Pain didn't go so well and he had requested them to see him physically.

Despite Pain being a reanimated corpse, Obito can't help but feel challenged. He feels silly for getting all riled up by a dead alpha being controlled by a beta.

He walks beside Deidara but he keeps his distance. Deidara's lack of a scent doesn't help calm his nerves. He doesn't know if he misses it or is happy about it.

Obito's mind hasn't been letting him forget about the way Deidara confessed to him. Tobi has always made Deidara protect him, a complete role reversal between an alpha and an omega. It ruffles Obito's alpha instincts a little but he had been glad that he wasn't the dominant one in this partnership. He was sick of being in control.

Now his instincts scream at him to take the wheel. He hates to take that from Deidara. Deidara liked that he was an oddball alpha. Obito wonders why it is so important for him to be liked by Deidara.

The paper tree comes to view far too soon. Tobi nudges Deidara's shoulder.

"Senpai," Tobi says.

"I see it," Deidara replies.

Obito grins at the bite this omega packs. His smile falters when he realizes what he just did.

The paper tree's trunk parts when they near. Konan greets them but she stumbles over her sentence when they walk near her. Obito frowns and the beta clears her throat.

"He's waiting," says Konan and she gestures to the center of the hollow trunk. Deidara nods his thanks to Konan and Obito mirrors his action with a little more malice.

Obito moves to follow Deidara when he walks away but he stops when he feels Konan's hand on his elbow. The alpha turns and growls at the beta. Konan lets go almost immediately but she made it clear that she wanted his attention.

"What?" Obito asks.

"What did you do?" Konan demands.

Obito raises an eyebrow at her tone of voice but he shrugs it off. "I did nothing," says Obito.

Konan narrows her eyes at him and he knows that she is skeptical of him. Obito wonders idly if she knows what Deidara is. His head dips at the thought and a bitter feeling bubbles in his throat.

"If you don't let me go, Deidara and Pain are going to get suspicious," Obito says.

Konan nods once and waves him away. Obito feels his hackles rise at the fact that this beta is ordering him around, but for the sake of the disguise, Tobi lets it slide.

Tobi trots over to his senpai and utters an apology when Deidara asks what held him up. "I tripped," says Tobi. "Ms. Konan had to help me up."

"Dolt," Deidara says with a laugh.

"Enough," Pain says, walking over to the two of them. He looks at Deidara for a moment and then turns to look at Tobi, an almost imperceptible head tilt directed at Obito. Obito shrugs.

Pain gives a final look at Deidara and then reaches into his cloak to take out a piece of paper. He looks down at it for a while before he hands it over to them and says, "The Three-Tails has been rumored to be revived."

Deidara utters a confused grunt and takes the slip of paper.

"Forget about the last meeting," says Pain. "It was nothing. I had Itachi and Kisame to deal with it. Your focus is now on the Three-Tails. Scout about and see if you can't get any information on where it might be hiding. It won't have a host, so be careful when you do encounter it."

"That won't be a problem, boss!" Tobi says and does a dramatic salute.

Pain narrows his eyes at him.

Deidara scoffs and slaps Tobi in the chest once with the back of his hand. "Knock it off, hm," he says. Tobi lets out a grunt and then makes a show of rubbing where Deidara hit him. Deidara makes a face and then smiles. Obito stops his whining and watches Deidara's expression.

Pain's expression betrays nothing. He says, "Get to it, then."

"Yes, sir," Tobi says and does another salute. Deidara scoffs and then lets out a laugh. He begins to walk out of the tree. Obito goes to follow but he is stopped by Pain.

Konan steps closer to Deidara and whispers something in his ear. Deidara looks back at Tobi, looks at Pain, then at Konan, and nods. He leaves the tree.

Konan walks to stand next to them, crossing her arms against her chest.

"What?" Obito asks for the second time.

"What did you do?" Pain asks. "I can smell it even through this Pain."

"Don't play dumb with us, Madara," Konan says. "Something is up between you two."

"I don't know what you're talking about," says Obito.

"Why does he smell like you?"

Obito blinks. "He does?" he asks and then he falls quiet. Everyone else does too.

Konan and Pain glance at each other. "You really don't know?" Konan asks.

"No," Obito says.

"Maybe it was just the trip over," Pain offers as if he suddenly realized it was a bad call to assume such things of his boss. "You two walked together, right? Deidara's scent has always been very faint so maybe yours just rubbed off on him. It is a rather hot day today."

"Yes," Konan agrees. "You're right. That should be it. We were just mistaken."

Obito looks at Pain and then at Konan and then he nods to himself. He crosses his arms, thinks about the walk over, and then nods again. "That must be it," he says. "I would know if it wasn't."

"Of course, sir," Pain says and then he slaps Konan's bicep. Konan gives him a look and they wait to be dismissed, even though they are supposed to dismiss Obito.

Obito waves a hand and Konan and Pain bow at him. Obito nods in return and heads out of the tree. Deidara is waiting for him outside.

"What did they want, yeah?" Deidara asks when he smells Tobi.

Tobi offers Deidara a shrug. "They said they want us to gather intel at nearby inns," he says. "Something about the innkeepers being very into gossip, or something."

Deidara looks at him for a long time and then he nods once. "Okay," he says.

Obito can taste that he is lying. The strange sour tang laps at his senses. He ignores it and nods.

Deidara jerks his chin and the two of them begin to walk.

* * *

Hey guys, Red here.

This fic will be updated every Wednesday. Follow to get a notification for new chapters.

Follow me on Tumblr (redskiez dot net) and I also have a ko-fi (ko-fi dot com forward slash redskiez).


	4. Chapter 4

Beta'd by frozenCinders.

* * *

"And that's how I met the lady with a mold of her teeth," Tobi says.

Deidara's walking slows. "I think I've heard you tell me that before, yeah," he says.

Tobi's walking slows too. "Really?" he asks.

"It sounds familiar, hm," says Deidara, tapping his chin. "I swear you told me it before."

"I don't think I've ever told you this story before," says Tobi. He gestures to an inn and the two of them head toward it. "Do you want to know about the ugly baby?"

"What ugly baby, hm?"

"The couple had an ugly baby. It was fat and looked more like rubber than a baby," Tobi says. "I mean, babies are supposed to be fat but I've never seen a baby as ugly as it. I got scared when I saw it."

Deidara scoffs. "Must take a lot to scare you, Mr. Strapping Alpha," says Deidara.

A strange feeling flutters in his belly. He ignores it. "Don't be mean, senpai," Tobi says instead.

"I'm not being mean," Deidara laughs.

The strange feeling returns tenfold.

A bell rings when they push through the door. Obito glances at the cat statue and Tobi pretends to be enthralled by it. Deidara clicks his tongue and snaps his fingers at him. Tobi forces himself to look away from the cat and they head to the bar.

"Sake," Deidara says to the innkeeper, "for two."

The innkeeper sniffs and the hair on the back of Obito's neck rises. He glares at the innkeeper and even though the man, another alpha, couldn't see his expression, he seems to be smart enough to back off.

"Sake coming right up," he says to Deidara and leans into the counter to grab the bottle and two flasks. He slides it across the bar and rests both hands on the wooden table. "What else can I get for ya and ya mate?"

Deidara reaches for the bottle and then he stops. Obito sits down next to Deidara. Deidara turns to look at Tobi. Tobi looks at Deidara and then at the innkeeper.

"Dango," Tobi says innocently.

"Two dango coming right up," the innkeeper announces and he heads into the kitchen to shout at someone they can't see.

"Really?" Deidara asks.

"Hm?" Tobi hums.

"We're mates now, hm?" There is a bitter taste on Tobi's tongue.

"I didn't say it," Tobi says, confused, "and he asked me what else I wanted."

Deidara pours himself a flask of sake and downs it in one go. He goes for another. Tobi sighs and reaches for the bottle. Deidara growls at him. Obito growls back and Deidara's jaw snaps shut.

There's something strange in the air and then Deidara scoffs.

"So you are like the rest of them after all," he says.

Obito immediately lets go of the bottle of sake. A sour taste lingers on the back of his throat and he shakes his head. He swallows thickly.

The innkeeper comes back out and places two plates of dango on the table. He raises an eyebrow at the tension in the air.

"Need some space?" the innkeeper asks with a sickening smile.

"We're not mates," Tobi says.

"What was that?" the innkeeper asks.

"Earlier, you said 'you and your mate,'" Tobi says. "We're not mates."

"Ah," the innkeeper says. He leans forward and sniffs the air again. "My mistake. I can barely smell ya."

Deidara merely nods. Tobi grunts and takes a plate of dango.

"So, are ya single?" the innkeeper asks Deidara. Obito decides that food is no longer interesting and he feels like he's thirteen and impulsive again.

"'M not interested, hm," Deidara mumbles into his flask before he downs another drink of sake.

"'Scuse me?" the innkeeper says sweetly and Obito snorts at the scent that is radiating off of him.

"I said," Deidara says, putting down the flask of sake. "I'm not interested, hm."

With the deep voice and the aggressive demeanor, Obito would have never have guessed that Deidara is an omega. Omegas never really put up much of a fight, especially against alphas. Obito shifts his mask up and quickly eats his stick of dango.

"Not interested?" the innkeeper scoffs. He folds his arms on the table and leans on them, reaching for the other plate of dango and pushing it toward Deidara.

"That just ain't possible," says the innkeeper. "Everybody here is interested in me."

"I've seen better," Deidara says. He shoves the plate of dango away. "My partner wanted this."

"Partner?" the innkeeper raises an eyebrow and then turns to Tobi. Tobi adjusts the mask on his face, licking his lips to clean them from the excess sauce. "So you two are mates, after all."

"We're not mates," Tobi says.

"Partners, mates, significant other, dates," the innkeeper says. "They're all the same."

"We're work partners," Tobi says.

The innkeeper sniffs and then narrows his eyes. "Is this the 'better' that you've seen?" he asks Deidara.

"Sure," Deidara waves a hand. He looks at Tobi and then at the extra plate of dango.

"It's all yours, senpai," Tobi says. "I ordered it for you."

Deidara looks uninterested but he takes the plate anyway. Tobi reaches into his pockets and grabs a few coins for the innkeeper.

"Really?" the innkeeper asks. "Is this what this is going to be?"

Tobi places the few coins on the table and pushes it toward the innkeeper. "Thank you for the food," Tobi says. The innkeeper sneers at him but takes the money.

"You're wasting time on him," the innkeeper says to Deidara. Tobi leans over to grab the bottle of sake.

The innkeeper glares at them for a few moments before he turns to serve other customers.

"That was interesting," Tobi says.

"It was not at all, hm," Deidara says. He glances at Tobi and then he looks back down at his plate of dango. "You need to get me more of those pills."

Obito feels like he has lost something important.

* * *

Hey guys, Red here.

Apologies for the late upload.

This fic will be updated every Wednesday. Follow to get a notification for new chapters.

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	5. Chapter 5

Beta'd by frozenCinders.

* * *

Obito leans down and picks up the cardboard box. It isn't too heavy but he underestimates its weight at first. Obito spends a good few seconds adjusting his grip. Once he is able to hold on to the box and evenly distribute its weight, he glances down at the lifeless body at his feet.

"Sorry, buddy," he says to the corpse. He gets no response. Obito shrugs and kicks the body deeper into the shrubbery. It rolls into a bush. Obito heads down the path he came from.

The path is quiet save for the gravel and dirt crunching beneath his feet, paired with the song of nature twittering in the background.

Obito uses this time to think and dwell on his thoughts. He doesn't know what his thoughts are and he doesn't know if swimming in them is a good idea.

All he knows is that he feels lost and only one person can help him now.

He wonders if he did misstep and he wonders if Tobi could fix it in his bashful and clumsy way.

All too soon he comes up to one of their hidden bases. The seals recognize his chakra signature and Zetsu greets him at the entrance given that his hands are full. Obito nods at him. Zetsu nods back.

The boulder rumbles out of the way and Obito steps in. The lights in the stone corridors bow and flicker at the reintroduction of wind and threaten to go out and plunge him into darkness.

He takes winding turns down the relatively short tunnel – he's seen longer – and comes up to the door of the best rooms in this hideout. He raises a leg and supports most of the box's weight on his knee. He leans into the framework and knocks on the door. He hears shuffling on the other side.

Obito holds the box properly once more and lets his leg down. He takes a step back, readjusts his position, and waits for Deidara to open the door.

He feels as though most of their time together has come down to this routine and he doesn't know if he likes it or not. Obito thinks something is missing but at the same time, he finds this awfully domestic. He is torn between enjoying it and thinking it is sick that an unmated pair is so chummy with each other.

Deidara raises an eyebrow at him. He hadn't even noticed the door open.

Tobi looks at Deidara, down at the box he's holding, and then looks back up at him. "I cut off a shipment," says Tobi.

"A shipment with one box, hm?" Deidara asks.

"I only have so many arms, Deidara-senpai," says Tobi. "I stored the rest somewhere safe."

Deidara nods for a bit, looking at the box he's holding and continues to nod. "Okay," he says and he keeps nodding. "Come on in, hm."

When Deidara steps aside from the door, Tobi nods his thanks and walks in. He is careful about keeping his distance from the omega. He had been rather prickly ever since leaving that inn and Obito knows that it is somehow his fault.

His movements stutter when he sets the box down as realization washes over him like an ugly wave.

Tobi sighs heavily and sits down on the floor, crossed legged, and grips the side of the cardboard box.

Deidara is still standing by the door. He can feel his gaze resting on his back. He can smell that he is confused.

Everything feels heavy and Obito wonders if he can take the loss all over again. He thinks, not for the first time, that everything in this world is fucked and messed up and the only way everyone can find peace is for no one to be able to die. It is unfair to someone like Deidara – or anyone at all, really – but his heart has broken and he has always thought that it would never heal properly.

Deidara's concern grows stronger and Obito pretends to be busy with opening the box. He flinches when a hand rests on his shoulder and Deidara sits down next to him.

"What's wrong?" Deidara asks.

"Nothing," Tobi says. He fiddles with the tape. "This is some strong tape. Can't get it off."

Deidara looks at him weirdly. He reaches out, feels around for a bit, and digs his nail into the crease of the cardboard flaps. The tape breaks from under his nail and continues to tear in half as he drags it along the seam.

"Ah," Tobi says. He holds up his hand to show his gloves.

Deidara nods but his hand is still on Tobi's shoulder.

"What?" Tobi asks.

"You're lying," Deidara says.

"Hm?"

"I can smell it, hm," says Deidara. "You're lying," he says. "You lie quite a bit."

Obito looks at Deidara and then he moves to stand. "I'd rather not talk about it, senpai," Tobi says.

Deidara looks down at the box and is quiet. Obito knows that his mind is anything but.

"I heard that the Three-Tails might be taken captive by Kirigakure again," says Tobi.

"Hm," Deidara says. He raps his fingers on the cardboard box, a constant noise in a constant rhythm. He doesn't even need to say anything.

"Ugh," Tobi says and he sits back down.

"Why are you lying?" Deidara asks.

"Senpai," says Tobi, "have you ever had someone in your life? Or at least close to?"

Deidara glances at him and looks back at the box. He takes a deep breath and begins to unfold the flaps to check its contents. "There was a beta," Deidara says, "once, hm."

Tobi remains silent to be respectful but he feels an ugly emotion burn in the pit of his stomach.

"Don't be jealous," Deidara says. "When I couldn't match her in terms of finding glory in battle, we fell out, hm."

Obito wonders if it is Kurotsuchi.

"It wasn't a huge loss for me," Deidara says as he shoves his hand into the box and takes out a set of pills. "I guess omegas are more attracted to alphas than they are to betas, hm."

"There wasn't an alpha in your life?"

"Or anywhere near me," Deidara scoffs. "I set them on fire before they can even open their mouth, hm."

Obito plants his hands on the floor and lifts himself off a few inches. He shuffles a few inches away from Deidara. He is successful in making Deidara puff out a laugh.

Deidara drops the box of pills and turns to look at Tobi, a fond smile on his face as he rests his arm on the edge of the box, and his cheek on his hand. "Don't worry, Tobi, hm," says Deidara. "I didn't want to set you on fire, I wanted to strangle you, remember?"

Obito sports a similarly fond smile and says, "That is very reassuring, senpai."

Deidara nods and then his gaze softens. "You are the only alpha I don't want dead immediately, hm."

Obito panics a bit. In turn, he can feel Deidara's anxiety grow. "Uh, well," Tobi says, "I had someone once, sort of."

"Sort of?" Deidara asks. He tastes something sour at the back of his throat and he realizes it is Deidara's turn to be jealous. He realizes that he doesn't mind.

"She died before her coming of age so we don't really know her rank," says Tobi, "but I'd reckon she was a beta."

Deidara nods slowly. He moves closer to Tobi and places a reassuring hand on his knee. Obito nods in return.

"It doesn't matter," Tobi says dismissively. "She wasn't into me because I really wasn't your average alpha. Everyone thought I'd be a beta too."

"Aren't I lucky?"

"Huh?" Tobi asks. "Did you say something?"

"Nothing," Deidara lies.

"Okay," Obito says. He looks down at where Deidara's hand is still on his knee. "Anyway, she was into our other teammate. He's a beta."

Deidara laughs. "You're jealous again, hm."

"So are you," Tobi says.

"Am not," Deidara lies.

"You're lying now," says Tobi.

"How do you know that, yeah?" Deidara asks and then he stops and looks at nothing in particular. "How did I know that?"

"I shouldn't have been in the room with you, senpai," says Tobi.

"It made me feel better," Deidara retorts and then he looks disgusted with himself. "Damn it," he says and he lets go of Tobi's knee.

So it's begun.

* * *

Hey guys, Red here!

This fic will be updated every Wednesday. Follow to get a notification for new chapters.

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	6. Chapter 6

Beta'd by frozenCinders.

* * *

"Hey, little Deidara," Hidan says.

Deidara ignores him. Tobi crosses his arms but the beta is doing amazingly well at ignoring the presence of an alpha.

"Hey, it's not good to ignore your elder," Hidan says. He grabs one of his spikes and turns it around, poking the blunt end at Deidara's shoulder.

Obito reaches out and yanks the stick out of Hidan's grip. Hidan lets out a surprised noise and then he grumbles, turning his attention to Tobi instead.

"What the fuck do you want, masked-fuck?" Hidan says and then he stops himself, tilting his head. "Oh," he says and then he bursts out laughing. "Are you fucking three-mouths?"

Obito snaps Hidan's stick in half and tosses it back to him. Hidan is undeterred.

"A pussy alpha and a, uh," Hidan stops speaking and then he looks at Deidara with a confused expression. "What are you, anyway? I can never tell," says Hidan.

"Knock it off, Hidan," Kakuzu says.

"Shut up, old man," Hidan says. He puts his hand on his chin and then he makes a face that reminds Tobi of someone constipated.

"Really, I can't tell," says Hidan. "You just smell like," he says and points to Tobi, "him."

Deidara is surprised to hear this. Tobi sighs and covers his masked face in his gloved hands.

Hidan lets out a surprised noise again and he falls forward on his face, insults muffled by a mouthful of dirt. Kakuzu digs his hand harder into the back of Hidan's skull and retracts it back only when Hidan says something similar to, "Okay, okay, I'm fucking sorry. I'll knock it off."

Deidara is looking at Tobi. Tobi pretends that he doesn't see or feel it.

"Mr. Hidan," Tobi says innocently.

"What the fuck do you want?" Hidan shouts as he rolls over onto his back. He is panting.

"Why do you smell like Mr. Kakuzu?"

"The same reason why mouths-for-hands smells like you!" Hidan shouts at the same time Kakuzu says, "He does not smell like me."

Hidan stops talking when he realizes what Tobi just said. "Wait, you fuck," Hidan shouts. "I do not smell like that fucking old fart."

"Mhmm," Tobi nods, crossing his arms.

Hidan struggles to turn back onto his hands and knees, tripping over himself in a fit. "I'll have you know that I have standards!" Hidan screams. "I will never fuck a person who goes to public toilets for longer than twenty minutes!"

Hidan gets another face full of dirt again. "Shut the fuck up, Hidan," Kakuzu says, "or I will kill you."

"I'd like to see you try, fuck-face!" Hidan shouts into the earth.

"Senpai," Tobi says to Deidara.

Deidara is still looking at him. Tobi breathes deeply and he catches Deidara's scent. He swallows and is glad that his cloak is baggy. "We'll just look for the Three-Tails elsewhere," he says to Deidara. "We'll leave Mr. Kakuzu and Mr. Hidan to their thing."

He turns to leave and Deidara follows him.

They stop once they can no longer smell, hear, or see the Zombie Duo. Tobi lets out a relieved sigh and leans against a tree.

"That was a tough one," says Tobi. He does not manage to alleviate the tension in the air. Obito thinks he might die because he suddenly finds Deidara extremely attractive like this.

"Are we going to do anything about this, yeah?"

"Do what?" Tobi asks.

"I don't know, hm," Deidara admits. "Something, at least," he says. "I smell like you."

"Is that really a bad thing?" Tobi asks.

Deidara doesn't say anything.

"I don't think it's a bad thing," Tobi says.

"Not to you, it's not," Deidara mumbles. He sighs and then he runs a hand through his hair. "I'm supposed to be _your_ mate, hm."

"Okay," Tobi says slowly. "I don't know if this is supposed to be a jab toward me."

"It's not," Deidara says. "You know what omegas are supposed to do when they mate with an alpha, hm," he says.

Tobi stutters. Obito doesn't know. He has never seen an alpha and omega pair before – omegas are so fiercely protected that he rarely gets to even see an omega alone.

"Omegas lose the right to do almost anything," Deidara says slowly as if he is talking to a child. "They are under their mates, figuratively and literally, hm."

Obito lets out a sound of confusion. That doesn't sound right. Other mated pairs are loving and caring and do almost everything together. If he ever mated an omega, he would never take away their right to do 'almost anything.'

"Look," says Tobi, "I don't know what you're talking about but my future mate would definitely not have their rights stripped from them."

He leans into the tree's bark heavily and says, "I don't see what's wrong with everyone thinking we're mates. There's no harm in it because you and I both know we're not in cahoots with each other," he says. "Besides," he says, "if every other person thinks you're mated to me then they'll leave you alone. That's why you're taking those suppressants, right? To be left alone?"

Deidara huffs at first and then he seems to come to a realization on his own. He manages to crack an odd smile and says, "You really are an oddball alpha, you know that, Tobi, hm?"

"I am?" Tobi asks. "Is that a good thing now?"

"Well, it's not that bad, hm."

"What's not that bad?"

"It's not that bad being pretend-mated to you."

Deidara grins at Tobi and Obito feels as though his heart skipped a beat. He bites his lower lip and lets out a laugh. Deidara's faded scent just got so much sweeter.

* * *

Hey guys, Red here!

This fic will be updated every Wednesday. Follow to get a notification for new chapters.

Follow me on Tumblr (redskiez dot net) and I also have a ko-fi (ko-fi dot com forward slash redskiez). Please consider supporting me for what I do and buy me a coffee.


	7. Chapter 7

Beta'd by frozenCinders.

* * *

Obito knows he has a problem.

Ever since that incident, Obito has become more and more aware of every movement Deidara makes — and every movement an unmated person makes.

He _knows_ he shouldn't act like this. No matter how society dictates it, he does not feel that omegas are below alphas or the rest of the world. They have their own rights and that extends to the freedom to choose a mate.

Oh, but it is so hard to resist when every part of his body, the bestial nature, and his instincts, call out to him to claim Deidara. Obito's veins feel like they're on fire every time he nears the omega and damn him for even thinking that — Deidara is not _just_ an omega. He is a capable ninja with formidable skills and he could destroy platoons of enemy shinobi.

And he is standing right next to him, spying on a border patrol from Kirigakure.

"Look at them, hm," Deidara says and Obito turns his head to gaze at the three shinobi, bantering and chattering amongst themselves in the night. They sit together, guard lowered, around the campfire.

"I am," Tobi replies.

"Really look at them, hm," Deidara says and gestures to the higher-ranked ninja among the three.

Obito squints and tries his best to see what Deidara is looking at. He seems to be unable to until Deidara nudges him in the shoulder and then he follows Deidara's finger.

The man's vest has a scroll woven into it.

Tobi turns to him and says, "What are we going to do?"

Deidara leans back, crossing his arms. "We can't spook them too soon," Deidara says. "It could be nothing."

Obito can check if it is but he doesn't want to ruin their fun. He nods in agreement. "Okay," says Tobi. "So are we going to wait until they make it clear that the scroll contains something important?"

"It's important enough that they're hiding it," Deidara says. "Could be the location of the Three-Tails."

"Could be," Tobi says. "But what if it's not?"

"Then it will be another success in proving it's not hidden there, hm," Deidara says.

"Boo," Tobi says. "Boring."

Deidara raises an eyebrow at him.

"Come on," says Tobi. "We should just take the scroll and see if it contains the location right now. It will save so much time."

"I didn't know you liked to save time, Tobi, hm," Deidara says.

"Oh, senpai," Tobi says, "there are a lot of things that you don't know about me."

"Is that so, hm?" Deidara says with a grin. Obito swears he could see the beginning of a wink, too.

One of the Kiri ninjas stands, stretching and yawning loudly. "I'm beat," Obito sees the ninja say to his comrades. He sees the other two nod their heads as the first one retires.

The leader of the three remains by the fire, leaning closer to the remaining ninja and continuing to speak with him in a hushed tone. Obito can barely read his lips from his angle and the shadows the fire is casting is not helping him at all.

He huffs and turns to Deidara. "Are we really just going to wait, senpai?" Tobi asks.

"Yes, hm," Deidara says and he leans back against the tree. He looks as though he's already made himself feel comfortable.

Tobi lets out a whine and is promptly shushed by Deidara.

"Shut up," Deidara says. "You're going to get us found out, hm."

Being talked to like this by an omega ruffles Obito's senses a little but he obeys and falls quiet. He leans against the tree as well, wondering how much longer he can take this before he completely breaks. He reckons it wouldn't take very long.

When the moon is high in the sky and the two Kiri ninja still refuse to retire to bed, Obito huffs and looks away.

"Stop," Deidara says.

"This is boring," he says.

"What else can we do?" Deidara snaps.

Tobi tilts his head and Deidara leans back. "Don't," Deidara says. "If you pull rank, I'm blowing you up into smithereens, hm."

And thus lose the special place he has in Deidara's mind? Obito would rather lose his dick. Somehow, this little omega's respect means way too much to him.

He scoffs and looks back at the two ninjas, chattering merrily.

"They have an awful lot to say," he says.

"Sometimes people tend to do that," Deidara replies, "if they get along, yeah."

"Like you and me?"

"You wish."

Tobi shifts and dangles his legs. "Why don't we just ask them what they have?"

"What?"

"Use your charms," Tobi says.

"Oh, no," Deidara laughs mockingly. "You did not just suggest what I think you suggested, hm."

"Why not?"

"Why not?" Deidara echoes. "Use your alpha brain for a second, Tobi, yeah."

Tobi purses his lips and taps his chin. "My alpha brain says it's a very good idea."

"Shit for brains," Deidara mutters.

Tobi lets out a laugh that startles Deidara and he receives a nasty glare in return for his troubles. "What?" Tobi asks. "I still think it's a good idea. Are you worried, senpai?"

"Worried? About what, hm?" Deidara retorts.

"About, you know," Tobi says, twiddling with his fingers. He sighs after a bit and decides that it's not such a great idea after all.

The two of them just sit on the branch then, quietly watching the two ninjas huddled around the fire. Obito tries to pay attention to their lips, turning his head this way and that, but all his twisting and turning only annoyed Deidara. He receives a slap on the arm and Obito growls.

Deidara tenses. Obito swallows and leans back against the tree, trying to calm himself.

"Senpai," Tobi says when Deidara refuses to relax.

"Shut up," Deidara bites back. Obito grunts at the display but holds his tongue.

Taking a deep breath, Tobi says, "Sorry, senpai."

"I thought I told you to shut up?" Deidara says.

Obito glances at Deidara. He is digging his nails into his arms. Briefly, Obito wonders what that might mean for Deidara's stitches.

He surprises himself with the amount of worry he feels.

"Stop it," Deidara hisses. The hairs on his neck are raised, he is prickly and Obito finds himself reaching out. He crowds Deidara, just slightly, and Deidara – so obedient, so perfect – doesn't move away.

Something wild and ancient runs through him and Obito reaches around to the back of Deidara's neck. Deidara stiffens even more, arms moving, but he stops. Obito runs his fingertips against the back of Deidara's neck, feeling around until he finds the patch of soft, sensitive skin that he has only heard stories of, and rubs.

Beneath the skin is a soft gland that an alpha would bite down on should Deidara choose to bond with one – or, well, should one choose to bond with Deidara. It should, also, relax Deidara when massaged by—

All tension leaves Deidara's body. He sags against the bark and although he appears void of anxiety and anger, his eyes glazed and distant; Obito can tell he is upset.

Upset at him.

Gentling only works when an alpha is either the omega's mate or—

No.

No, no. No.

Obito pulls away. Deidara lets out a quiet whine and attempts to follow Obito, but he leans away and against the tree trunk again. His body is still completely and utterly relaxed.

What he did was…

It was dangerous.

Alphas are known to be harsh against omegas, Obito knows this. He knows and yet—

Gentling, like the treatment of omegas, can be abused. Obito has heard whispers of alphas betraying an omega's trust and massaging them into the brink of unconsciousness.

Obito bites on his tongue. He looks down at the Kiri ninjas. They remain unaware of their presence, but they have stopped talking. Obito takes a deep breath.

Deidara's scent fills his senses. It is thick and it _wants_.

"Senpai…" Tobi begins but Deidara grunts. It is a weak little thing, holding no power, but Obito understands.

There is no need to say anything.

As the sun begins to rise and the other ninja claims he will head to bed, the tension in Deidara's body returns. Obito refrains from gentling him again.

The leader of the patrol stands when the first shinobi awakens.

"Ready to turn in?" the shinobi asks.

"In a bit," replies the leader. He pats at his chest. "You'll make sure this is safe, right?"

"Of course, boss," the shinobi says. "Can't have them thinking we can't track a great big beast, can we?"

The leader grins and nods once. "I knew I could count on you, buddy," he says. He stands from his spot at the fireplace and gives his teammate a pat on the shoulder.

Obito turns to look at Deidara. Deidara doesn't say anything. He doesn't even look at the Kiri ninjas.

He waits until Deidara glances at him and gives him a nod. Deidara ignores him but he can feel something sour at the back of his throat.

He hops down the tree and waits until the Kiri leader retires in one of their makeshift tents.

The fight is quick and easy. The only one capable of putting up a fight wasn't even a challenge. The other two were easy to kill, defenseless and unguarded as they were. Obito rips the scroll out from its hidden compartment and climbs back up the tree.

Deidara sits alone, arms wrapped around himself.

"I got the scroll, senpai," Tobi says.

Deidara only shakes his head in response.

* * *

Hey guys, Red here!

This fic will be updated every Wednesday. Follow to get a notification for new chapters.

Follow me on Tumblr (redskiez dot net) and I also have a ko-fi (ko-fi dot com forward slash redskiez). Please consider supporting me for what I do and buy me a coffee.


	8. Chapter 8

Beta'd by SweetAlphaChild.

* * *

Konan finds him first, standing by the edge of the cliff, the ocean just meters below.

Her hands are positioned elegantly against the small of her back, folding into each other. She comes up to him quietly but he smelled her ages ago.

"Madara," the beta greets.

Obito nods once. She takes it as her cue to continue.

"Pain wishes to be updated on the progress of the hunt for the Three-Tails."

"If he wants to know," Obito says, "why didn't he come to find me on his own?"

Konan is quiet.

"Deidara has been acting strangely, no?" Konan asks.

Obito shakes his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Madara," Konan says with as much authority a beta can muster in the presence of an alpha, "you can't play dumb with me. He's raised some concerns."

He turns to face her. "Concerns?" asks Obito. "What concerns?"

Konan falls quiet again. Then, she says, "About you."

"I… see," Obito says finally. "What did he say, explicitly?"

Obito knows that Konan will not answer him. He shakes his head again and scratches the bottom of his chin. "I will be aware of my behavior around him," he decides to say.

Konan shakes her head lightly. "It's way beyond that now, sir," she says. "With all due respect, there are only two outcomes for this."

Obito gestures for Konan to continue. "He came to me, worried," says Konan, "but there is nothing I can do. Even I can smell it on him."

Obito closes his eyes. He doesn't know what to say.

"The boy was quite distressed," Konan says. Obito looks into her sharp eyes. "It might have been hard to tell that day but it's more prominent now. We figured it out — soon, others will too."

Obito waves. Konan backs off. She bows and leaves him to stand alone, gazing out into the distant horizon where the sea and the sky meet.

Zetsu finds him a few hours later, still standing by the edge of the cliff.

"Hey," says White Zetsu, "Deidara's been looking for you."

"It's about the Three-Tails," says Black Zetsu.

Obito nods and dismisses Zetsu. He disappears into the soil and Obito stands, listening to the sound of the crashing waves, then he too disappears.

He finds Deidara crouched on top of a tree.

"Senpai," Tobi greets.

"Shh," Deidara shushes, waving at him. Tobi crouches down beside him.

"What are we looking at?" he asks Deidara in a hushed tone.

Deidara doesn't answer him. He just points at the two Kiri ninja standing on a tree just below them.

"It's hiding in here, huh?" one of them says.

"In the lake," replies the other. "You'd think it would choose somewhere else to be."

"It's a giant turtle thing," says the first one. "What do you expect?"

Deidara glances at Tobi. Obito nods.

He watches as Deidara makes a few small spider bombs, animating them and letting crawl toward the two ninjas. Neither of them take much note of the bombs. Only one of them makes a half-hearted attempt at swatting the spider away.

The bombs crawl up to their necks and with a single command, they go off. The ninjas fall from the tree, dead before they even hit the ground.

"Good job, senpai," Tobi says.

Deidara grunts.

They head over to the lake. To neither of their surprise, the place is crawling with Kirigakure ninjas. Deidara gestures to the ones who are clearly of a higher ranking and Tobi nods.

He gets ready to help Deidara take them down but he stops when he senses a platoon rapidly approaching.

"Senpai," Tobi warns. "Konohagakure shinobi, five o'clock."

Deidara nods. He shoves his hands into his pocket and tosses some bombs at Tobi. Tobi takes the bombs and heads toward the Konoha nin.

They don't sense him. He tosses Deidara's bombs at them from above and the moment they make contact with them, the bombs explode. Tobi heads back to Deidara and nods when Deidara gives him a questioning look.

Tobi finds Deidara has taken care of another group of ninja. He kicks the corpse out of his way and then looks when Deidara gestures to the other group.

"They're stronger," Deidara comments. "They also have more lightning-types."

"Hm," Tobi taps at his chin.

"Do you know what to do, yeah?"

Tobi nods. "I'll try," he says.

He hops off the tree and burrows into the ground. Tobi reappears beneath the platoon and drags two in with him. The other members scramble to help their teammate and shout intelligible orders at each other.

Once disorientated and Tobi safe underground, Deidara tosses bombs at them from the air. It takes out half the group and Tobi deals with the rest, sealing them beneath the earth. Tobi pokes his head out to make sure the road is clear.

Deidara stands beside Tobi's exposed head, peering down at him.

"Hello, senpai!" Tobi says.

"Hm," Deidara grunts and walks away.

Obito rolls his eyes. He hoists himself out of the ground and brushes soil off of his cloak, following Deidara to the lake.

Looking up, Tobi stops in his tracks when another person's scent fills his nose. Obito tenses.

Deidara is nervous, a sour taste in the air, as he stares down the other man – another alpha – who is keeping him in place with a chakra-charged kunai.

This alpha is young, probably fresh off his first rut. He looks to be about Deidara's age, probably twenty, and he smells wretched.

Well, wretched to Obito. He can't help the small growl emitting from his throat.

The other alpha doesn't even spare him a glance.

"You're not mated, are you?" the man asks. He doesn't wait for Deidara to answer as he continues to speak, "You don't smell like you are, even if I can smell him on you."

Obito takes a step forward.

"Easy, old man," the alpha says, finally turning to Obito. "I hope you understand that the omega is fair game since he's at the cusp of his heat and he's not been claimed."

He hears Deidara huff and his gaze is heavy on him. Obito takes another step forward.

The other alpha bares his teeth, his sharpened canines glinting in the light. "Are you challenging me?" he demands.

Obito breathes out slowly. "No," he says afterward.

"No?"

"You're challenging me."

The man laughs. "Don't make me laugh, old man," he says, "I asked first."

"Did he say he was interested?"

"I don't need to hear him say it," the man grins. "Omegas let you know by smell."

Deidara grunts and Obito can taste his anger. "Doesn't smell like he's interested," Obito says.

"Not interested in you," the other alpha replies. He lowers his kunai and begins to stalk, prowling and showing Obito his teeth. A clear challenge.

"Find someone your own age, old man," taunts the other alpha. "This omega is mine."

"No, he isn't," growls Obito.

"Are you challenging me?" he demands again.

Obito glances at Deidara. Deidara says nothing. He turns back to the other alpha and sets his jaw straight.

"Yes," Obito grits out.

"Then so be it."

The other alpha lungs without another word. Obito quickly disarms him of his weapon and it clatters on the ground with a dull sound. Momentarily distracted, Obito uses the opening to land a few punches at the other's jaw.

The other alpha stumbles back with a grunt, but he is young and healthy, and he quickly regains his composure. Obito finds himself toppled over and lying on the dirt ground, struggling to breathe.

Obito grips the other man's wrist, twisting it hard and hearing it snap before the man lets out a howl. He shoves the other man off him, and he lands on his side, his arm below the elbow jutting out at a weird angle.

He looks down at him, chest heaving as he tries to steady his breathing. He is aware of Deidara's eyes on him, the other hasn't moved at all. Obito lets the other man sob for a while longer before he punches his face again and again until the sickening sound of skin against skin becomes wetter and wetter, and the man is no longer screaming in pain but gurgling.

Obito stops when pain begins to blossom against his knuckles. He loosens his fist and gives it a few swings, droplets of blood flinging onto his cloak and his mask. Obito grunts at that.

Then, he reaches, and grabs hold of the man's head in both hands. He looks at him in the eyes, taking in how blood-shot it is, and says, "You lose, boy. Don't take what's mine."

Anger flashes across the man's eyes but it is too late. Obito grips his head tight and twists. The sound of bone and tendons and nerves severing makes Obito feel sick but he has no other choice. The man's body gives a final jerk and stills completely.

Obito stands. He kicks some dirt at the dead body and snarls at it once more before turning back to his partner.

Even from here, reeking with the smell of blood and sweat and dirt, Obito can smell him. He smells so sweet, so good, so delicious.

Obito lets out a shaky breath, unsure of what to say. Deidara's mouth opens and closes. Obito notices that his pupils are blown, and his skin is flushed.

He should feel pleased. The omega is responding to him and accepting his claim – but he finds that he cannot. He wars with himself, arms twitching at his sides. He wants to go to him but Obito knows he cannot – he should not.

He is supposed to control himself around Deidara.

Deidara smells so wonderful.

"Tobi…" Deidara says but it doesn't sound like Deidara. It sounds strange and forced and Deidara's eyes are wide. He takes a step toward Obito.

"Wait," Obito says, holding up his hands.

Deidara obeys.

"That guy... He said something about you being in the cusp of your heat."

Deidara nods.

"But… I thought you…"

Deidara shakes his head and Obito quickly gestures, saying, "Your pills."

He watches Deidara takes out the nearly empty box and swallow two in quick succession. The smell of him dampens a little but his scent is still there, just below the surface.

Deidara shakes his head again and tosses away the empty box.

Obito swallows thickly, stifling a groan, and takes a step back. His hands are still up as if that can stop what's forming between them. "We have a mission to do," he forces himself to say.

Deidara closes his eyes, turns away, and stares out at the lake. Mutely, he nods.

They stand in silence for a long time — Deidara looks at the water and Obito looks at Deidara.

"I…" Obito begins but he trails off. He licks his suddenly dry lips and tries again, "I think I'll do this alone."

Deidara snaps his head back at him. Through the haze of hormones, it is reassuring to see that Deidara's personality hasn't completely disappeared.

"Don't worry, senpai," Tobi says, falsely cheerful, "I'll tell them that you did it all on your own."

* * *

Hey guys, Red here!

This fic will be updated every Wednesday. Follow to get a notification for new chapters.

Follow me on Tumblr (redskiez dot net) and I also have a ko-fi (ko-fi dot com forward slash redskiez). Please consider supporting me for what I do and buy me a coffee.


	9. Chapter 9

Beta'd by SweetAlphaChild.

* * *

It's getting harder and harder to stay away from Deidara.

Obito presses his hand against the door, knowing that Deidara is standing right on the other side, doing the same thing.

There is something quiet and sweet being whispered into the air and Obito swears he can hear his name.

He doesn't let that taunt him.

"Deidara," Obito says, pulling away from the door. "I've got more of those pills you need out here."

"They don't work," comes Deidara's feeble voice. "You know that, yeah."

"I don't know anything," Obito replies.

"You can feel it," Deidara says, "I know you can."

"No," Obito says. He shuts his eyes and forces himself to pay attention to his own breathing and heartbeat until they both slow to a calm.

"We seal the Three-Tails at sun-high," says Obito through gritted teeth. "Be ready by then."

He feels Deidara nod and utters a quiet "okay" that no one else can hear.

When sun-high arrives, Obito reappears at the foot of Deidara's door. The box of suppressants is gone but Deidara's scent is as strong as before. Obito licks his lips.

He doesn't knock. "Are you ready, Deidara?" Obito asks with a raised voice.

Deidara shuffles in the room and says, "Yes."

Obito nods and sits down by the door. Deidara does the same.

The sealing goes, more or less, without a hitch. And if anyone notices that Deidara is less responsive to Hidan's taunts, none of them mention it.

When Obito opens his eyes next, he finds that Deidara's door is open and he gets a lungful of Deidara's scent, so sweet it clouds his mind. Obito's jaw slackens and he turns his head a fraction to the right, wanting to taste more.

He doesn't need to want for long because Deidara is suddenly on his lap, arms wrapped around his neck, mouthing at his mask where his mouth is at.

"Deidara…" Obito murmurs.

Any argument dies on his tongue when Deidara moans, a soft little thing, and grinds his hips down on Obito's. His dick – he doesn't even remember getting hard – pokes up against the warmth of Deidara's body and he can't help but grab hold of Deidara's hips and hump up against the heat, his instincts screaming at him to bury himself deep in the willing omega.

Deidara's grinding becomes frantic, hips stuttering as he rubs himself against Obito's hard prick. Within moments, Deidara tenses and comes with a choked off moan. He slumps against Obito's chest, head resting on his shoulder.

Gritting his teeth, Obito holds Deidara's hips down and thrusts up against him, humping against his warmth until he is also spilling thickly in his pants. Deidara keens softly at the feeling.

His orgasm brings him no comfort as his dick throbs in pain, unable to knot.

Breathing heavily, Deidara pushes himself off of Obito's chest, his previously sated expression replaced with wide, watery eyes. Obito can see that he looks more alert than before, but a glaze is beginning to reform.

"I… I'm…" Deidara tries, his mouth opening and closing uselessly as words die before he can even form them. "My…"

"Your heat," Obito supplies helpfully. "I… I feel it," he adds a little later.

"Yes," Deidara says.

"I have to go," Obito says. He pushes Deidara off of his lap, the two of them groaning at the loss of contact, and hurries to put some distance between the two of them.

"Tobi."

Obito shakes his head. He won't fall for it. He won't let his instincts take over. "I can't," Obito replies. "You don't want it as I do."

"It's too late for that, hm," Deidara breathes, his voice barely above a whisper.

Obito shakes his head again. "It's not too late, it's not," he says, more to himself than as a reply. "It can't be."

Deidara doesn't say anything. His breathing is beginning to become shallow again and his eyes look distant. He starts reaching for Obito, the mouths on his hands opening and closing, drooling abundantly.

Obito grunts. He reaches out and Deidara leans closer to his body heat, but Obito doesn't grab Deidara. He touches the skin on the back of Deidara's neck and rubs.

Deidara moans at the contact and then he sags, limp and barely-conscious, against the wall. Obito sits there, watching Deidara's hooded eyes and unguarded body. He could so easily…

Obito leaves before he loses his composure.

Zetsu finds him again near the cliff, no longer looking out at the sea but staring at a tree.

"Are you feeling it?" White Zetsu asks. "I think you should be able to feel it, right? I've read books that say potential mates can feel when the other—"

Black Zetsu grunts and cuts his other half off.

"Oh," White Zetsu says, his mouth a perfect 'O' shape. Zetsu doesn't linger long.

Obito waits until Zetsu disappears into the ground before he takes himself out of his pants. He grips the tree's bark, fingers digging into the soft wood, and jerks himself off.

Something at the back of his mind screams at him to go to Deidara. His body yearns for it. It hurts to be away — but he forces himself to stay and strokes himself until he is coming.

His breath hitches as he paints the tree in white streaks, rubbing the last of it out. His body sags yet remains high-strung, knowing that it did not do its job.

Obito feels Deidara in the distance. He knows what he wants. He knows what he needs.

He is hard again.

Obito keeps his hands on the tree and closes his eyes. He stays where he is.

It doesn't get better with time. He spends two days in Kamui, cock hard and body sore. The only thing in his mind is Deidara and every instinct he has screaming at him to go to him – because Deidara is also suffering.

He ignores it until one day, he wakes up feeling a little better than the previous days. He takes it as Deidara's heat being on its final legs. Obito leaves Kamui and almost immediately, he comes face to face with Konan.

"Madara," Konan greets him.

Obito only dips his head at her. She gives him a one-over and sniffs once. Her expression changes but everything she does is so subtle that it's almost unnoticeable.

"You've been away," she notes.

"Yes," Obito says, "something came up and I had to see to it."

Konan regards him, eyes narrowing minutely, and then she nods once. "Alright," she says.

"What is it that you need?"

"Something has happened during your… leave."

"Right."

"Deidara went into heat."

Obito grits his teeth. His blood surges in his veins. "Really?" Obito forces himself to say. "I thought he was a beta."

Konan watches him, gaze flickering to his clenched hands then back to his mask, and says, "Me too."

"Might be a, uh, a late bloomer," Obito says, clearing his throat a little. "I've heard that there are betas who turn into omegas fairly late in life. Something about the presence of alphas and stress on the job."

"Yes," Konan says, "I've also heard about those."

Obito nods and they fall into silence. Konan's gaze on him slowly becomes painful and Obito can't help but fidget.

"What else do you need?" Obito snaps.

Konan only hums, tilting her head up. "I was wondering if you could tell me about any stressful situations that he faced recently that could trigger his heat."

Obito bristles. He dislikes the beta's tune. "I don't know of any," he says.

"Really?" Konan asks. "You are his partner."

"Doesn't mean I dog him all the time."

Konan gives him a look but Obito does not back down. "Well," Konan says, "I think it should be your right to know that Zetsu went ahead and put the base he is at on lockdown and he's not letting anyone in other than you."

"That's nice of him," Obito says.

"I've also heard that Deidara was asking specifically for you."

"You heard wrong," Obito snarls.

"Perhaps," Konan says, "but I am not one to judge."

"That is correct, you aren't one to judge," says Obito. "Regardless, I don't see how any of this is your business. This would have no impact on the job."

"I see," Konan says, eyeing him. "That is wonderful news."

"Now, do you have anything else you want to talk about?"

"I'm afraid that is all I have to bring to the table."

"Then leave me," Obito says and Konan bows at the wave of his hand, disappearing into a pile of paper that flutter into the sky, blown away by the wind.

* * *

Hey guys, Red here!

This fic will be updated every Wednesday. Follow to get a notification for new chapters.

Follow me on Tumblr (redskiez dot net) and I also have a ko-fi (ko-fi dot com forward slash redskiez). Please consider supporting me for what I do and buy me a coffee.


	10. Chapter 10

Beta'd by SweetAlphaChild.

* * *

Zetsu greets him at the entrance.

White Zetsu sports a worried expression while Black Zetsu remains eerily stoic.

"It's been really tough," says White Zetsu. "There's been a lot of stray alphas coming around and threatening us when we didn't let them in."

It shouldn't surprise Obito as much – after all, Deidara is an unmated omega. Still, the news made Obito's blood boil.

"You should claim him and then let this whole thing be over with," Black Zetsu says. "I don't want this interfering with the plan."

"Nothing will interfere with the plan," Obito snaps.

At his outburst, White Zetsu's eyes widen and then droop. Obito sighs and says, "I'll deal with this, alright? After that, we can focus on the plan again."

Black Zetsu says nothing. Obito stares into that dead, yellow eye until he can't stand to anymore. Obito turns to head into the base.

He makes a quick pit stop at the available kitchen. He grabs a few bottles of water and cuts up some fruit. He carries it all to Deidara's room.

The moment he enters the room, he is assaulted by Deidara's thick scent and he gets hard again. Obito grunts and stumbles back a little, his hooded eyes quickly landing on Deidara's sleeping body.

He seems to be naked from the waist down, but his tank and fishnet shirt are pushed up to his neck, chest, and nipples red with bite marks.

Lower. Deidara's cock lies limp on a thigh and there is slick between his legs.

Obito swallows, wanting nothing more but to bury himself right there. His cock strains at the thought and Obito shuts his eyes, calming his breathing.

"Deidara," Obito says gruffly, beginning to take slow and hesitant steps toward his partner. "I've got water and food."

Deidara doesn't stir but he murmurs something under his breath. When Obito gets closer, he can see his eyes dashing wildly behind those eyelids.

"Tobi…" Deidara murmurs as Obito approaches his bedside.

"Senpai," Tobi replies, low. He places the plate of fruit on the nightstand and ignores the undergarments littered around the place.

Obito forces himself to move away when Deidara reaches for him.

"Wake up," Obito says.

Deidara only grunts.

"I've got food and water for you," Obito continues. He uncaps the water bottle and holds it out, pressing the mouth of it against Deidara's lips.

Deidara's eye opens, peering at him and then squinting adorably down at the offered bottle. He moans, soft, and begins to drink from it.

Obito holds the bottle for him, tilting it as the last of the contents is drained. He recaps it and tosses it in the trash. Deidara slurs, asking for more.

After Deidara drinks three more bottles, he murmurs something about food. Obito takes the plate of cut fruit and offers a slice to Deidara.

Deidara's nose scrunches up, clearly not expecting fruit, but he accepts it and Obito feeds him the entire plate as he says, "Fruit is good for you after heats."

Deidara only nods. Obito wonders, as he cleans his hand, how many heats Deidara has gone through.

Obito heads to the en-suite bathroom and grabs one of the towels. He soaks it in cold water and wrings out the excess. He takes the towel and tells Deidara to roll on his side, who is too drowsy and tired to obey.

"I want more fruit, yeah," Deidara says hoarsely.

"You'll get more fruit," Obito replies, "but first, I'm cleaning you."

Deidara mutters something Obito can't catch, then he says, "You need cleaning too, idiot. You reek."

Obito looks down at himself. His erection has died down but he supposes he was producing a scent even before then.

"You, first," Obito says and nudges Deidara's side with his knee. Deidara grunts and moves to his side, shucking his cloak along the way.

Obito reaches out and pulls Deidara's shirts off, tossing them across the room. He drags the cold towel across Deidara's still-heated skin and works to wipe the sweat and grime off.

It takes several trips to the bathroom to clean the towel and Deidara dozes off multiple times throughout, muttering about more fruit every time he wakes.

Obito is extra careful about cleaning between Deidara's legs, taking note of the reddened skin around his private parts. He diverts his gaze as he runs the rough towel over Deidara's entrance and ignores the sound Deidara makes when he wipes him clean.

It takes him a tantalizing amount of time to clean Deidara down there, but he manages to do it all the same. When he's done, he stands straight and clears his throat, his cock half-hard in his pants.

"I'll cut you more fruit, senpai," Tobi says.

"Hn," Deidara replies.

Obito tosses the towel in the bathroom sink and leaves quickly to the kitchen, taking two more apples to slice.

Deidara is asleep again when he brings him the fruit. He shakes Deidara's shoulders, ignoring the weak protests, and holds the plate near Deidara's face.

Deidara's eyes widen and he devours the plate within minutes.

"Needy," Obito says fondly before he can catch himself.

Deidara wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and scoffs, eyes soft. "It's your fault," he says.

Obito chuckles. "Sure," he says, "it's my fault."

Deidara reaches for another bottle of water. Obito gives it to him.

"We have to deal with this, you know, hm," Deidara says after he finishes the bottle.

Obito looks away. "Can't you just keep taking the pills?"

"They don't work anymore. Not when you're near me, yeah."

Obito looks at his gloved hands. "I don't think I can stand being away from you," he says after a while.

"Me neither," Deidara replies, just as quietly.

He smiles to himself.

"Okay," Deidara speaks up after a while, "move. I need to piss, yeah."

Obito snorts and he gets out of the way. "I won't walk you, senpai," Tobi says.

"Then get out of my room, you dolt, hm," Deidara says, already halfway toward the bathroom.

Tobi snorts but he stays where he is.

* * *

Hey guys, Red here!

This is the second to last chapter that I have written in advance. After Chapter 11, expect a slight delay in the weekly uploads. I will try to keep up, though my health is failing me lately. Subscribe to get notifications on when the next update comes!

Follow me on Tumblr (redskiez dot net) and I also have a ko-fi (ko-fi dot com forward slash redskiez). Please consider supporting me for what I do and buy me a coffee.


	11. Chapter 11

Beta's by SweetAlphaChild.

* * *

"Madara," Pain greets him. "You're here."

Obito doesn't turn around to face him. He stands at the edge of the tower, looking down at the streets of Amegakure.

"Is something the problem, Madara?" Konan asks.

Obito shakes his head. He can sense Konan and Pain look at each other before Pain takes a step forward. "Did something happen?"

"Perhaps you can tell me," Obito says.

Konan puts a hand on Pain's shoulder and the two of them nod.

"Deidara is an omega," Konan says.

"Yes," Obito replies. He turns around to face the two of them.

"Did something happen during his heat?" Pain asks.

"No," Obito says quickly.

Konan watches him with narrowed eyes.

"Regardless of what did or did not happen," says Obito, clearing his throat, "we need to solve this problem before it turns into something else."

"I agree," Pain replies.

"There are pills that can suppress an omega's traits," Konan says.

"None of that," Obito says, waving his hand. "We can't avoid the problem. We need to deal with it."

"What are you suggesting, Madara?" Konan asks.

"Do you want us to find a person to bond with Deidara? That's too risky," says Pain.

Konan nods. "And it won't solve the problem. Deidara will still have heats and he'll also have to deal with his mate's ruts. I still say we get him those pills."

Obito clicks his tongue. Pain and Konan fall silent.

"We can keep him unmated," Pain tries, "but if the rest of the Akatsuki find out, the situation would get out of hand."

"The only way to prevent that and keep Deidara from being absent every month is the pills," adds Konan.

Obito exhales, waving his hand. "The pills don't work," he finally says.

Pain turns to Konan. Konan makes a sound of understanding.

"What do you mean?" Pain asks but he snaps his jaws shut when Konan slaps him on the bicep.

"What would you have us do? We can't give Deidara away to an alpha, he's too valuable to the organization," Konan says.

"I'm not suggesting that," Obito says.

"Then what are you saying?" Pain asks.

Konan scoffs. "Are you saying he's disposable?"

"No," Obito snaps.

"Then what do you want us to do, Madara?" Pain asks.

"We're not giving him away to some unnamed alpha that you picked up off the street."

"Then who are we giving him to, huh? You?" retorts Konan.

When Obito doesn't answer, Konan laughs once, dry. "You want us to give him to you," she says.

"He's not yours to give away," Obito barks.

"He's not yours to claim either!"

Pain takes a step back.

"You don't even know what he wants, Madara. You can't just take what you like."

"Don't bring other issues into this, Konan," Obito says. "Deidara wants this too. I would never force him to do something he doesn't want."

"And how do you know he wants this? You're probably the one who triggered his heat in the first place."

"You know what? Yes, it was me who triggered his heat but only because he asked me to stay with him during a lapse in his medication!"

Pain waves his hand. "Lapse in medication? What? Was he on the pills before?"

Obito sighs. He turns around to look at the cityscape below, rain beginning to pour. "He knows he is an omega," he says, "and I think he's been hiding it since he came of age."

"And you took advantage of that," Konan snarls.

Obito turns back toward them and Konan takes a step forward. Pain puts a hand on her arm.

"It wasn't my intention to trigger his heat, alright?" Obito says. "These things happen sometimes, and we can't stop it. I just wanted to help him."

Konan rolls her eyes and walks away.

Pain glances at her. "Don't worry about it, Madara," he says when she's gone. "I'll organize some spare time for you both when his next heat comes and then you can, uh, do whatever you need to do."

"I'm not asking you for permission."

"No, of course not," Pain says. His face twists and he adds, "You're just informing us."

"That is correct."

"We don't know much about the relationship between alphas and omegas," Pain says. "Though I hope it's true that you can sense what the other feels."

"It's not completely false," says Obito, "but I've asked Deidara verbally and he doesn't seem to object."

"Alright," says Pain. "I'll talk to Konan."

Obito scoffs. "Whatever," he says. Pain bows and Obito nods before he teleports away.

* * *

Hey guys, Red here!

This is the second to last chapter that I have written in advance. After Chapter 11, expect a slight delay in the weekly uploads. I will try to keep up, though my health is failing me lately. Subscribe to get notifications on when the next update comes!

Follow me on Tumblr (redskiez dot net) and I also have a ko-fi (ko-fi dot com forward slash redskiez). Please consider supporting me for what I do and buy me a coffee.


	12. Chapter 12

Beta'd by SweetAlphaChild.

* * *

Deidara looks up before he even arrives. Obito doesn't let himself think about why he knows he's near.

"I've got another mission, senpai," Tobi says quietly. He places the scroll on Deidara's outstretched hand and moves to sit down next to him. He draws his legs up to his chest and wraps his arms around them.

He turns his head when Deidara nudges him. He accepts the scroll when he gives it back to him.

"Another patrol, hm," Deidara says. "If Hidan hears about this, we're never going to hear the end of it, yeah."

Obito scoffs. "Then we'll just make sure he doesn't hear about it then, huh, Deidara-senpai?"

Deidara laughs. He picks up a loose rock by him and tosses it into the river in front of them. "This is the fourth patrol mission this month," he says. "I wonder why they won't give us anything more than that."

"Yes," Tobi says, clearing his throat. "I wonder why."

Deidara turns to him, thumbing the pebble he picked up. "You have something to do with this," he says, matter-of-factly.

Obito chews on his bottom lip, unsure about what to say. Deidara knows whenever he lies.

"I, uh," he stutters.

"You don't have to say anything," Deidara says with a shrug. "I know you do."

Embarrassed, Obito clears his throat again and scratches the back of his neck.

"I get it, hm," Deidara says. He tosses the pebble in his hand into the river, this time the stone bounds across the water before sinking to the bottom. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Obito burns to the root of his hair. "I, well, I didn't realize that…"

"That I wanted to know I'd be mated soon?" Deidara says, his voice sharp.

Obito frowns. "It's not as if I am forcing you to do this," he replies, "you want this, too. You told me so."

Deidara only clicks his tongue in response, as if he is missing the entire point.

It doesn't take Obito longer than a second to realize what it is. He pales, throat suddenly going dry, and he swallows thickly. "Deidara," he tries.

"Just leave it," Deidara replies. "You'll have what you want, in the end, hm. Your kind always does."

Obito sighs, turning away. He cannot bring himself to look back, eyes trained on the dirt on the ground. There is a twist in his heart and something sour in his stomach, but Deidara doesn't leave as he expected him to.

"I'm sorry," Obito says after a long time of sitting in silence.

He doesn't get a response, though he knows how Deidara feels exactly. There is nothing he can say that might improve this, and Obito feels terrible.

In the end, he does get what he wants. He's not that different from your average alpha after all.

Two weeks pass and they are on their last patrol mission for the month.

Obito watches as Deidara tosses another spider into the dirt, the explosion causing the hole to become deeper. There is a certain warmth that surrounds Deidara, and it fascinates Obito. He reaches out, wanting to touch it, but stops short.

He clears his throat, realizing what's going on.

Deidara throws a glance at him over his shoulder, eyes dark.

"We should go, senpai," Tobi manages to say, voice strained.

Deidara frowns. "I'm fine," he says and forcibly looks away from Tobi, continuing to mold another spider in his hands. "It's fine."

Obito reaches out once more, putting a hand on Deidara's shoulder. It startles Deidara, causing him to lung forward, off the tree, and stumble away from Tobi.

Deidara looks at his shoulder, where Obito touched him, and then back at his partner. He scowls then, something washing over him. "Who said you can touch me, hm?"

The alpha stands up straight, peering down at the omega. He knows he should not reply, understanding the reason why Deidara is on edge, but he cannot help himself anyway. "I said so," Obito rumbles.

He can see Deidara's shoulder tense and his body quiver. He's fighting his instincts and his attitude. Obito sighs, squatting down on the branch once more and says, much more gently, "We have to go, Deidara. We don't know who's out there."

"Maybe I should stay," Deidara mutters. "I don't think I would like it with you, yeah."

"And let some random strange rut you?" Obito asks, his temper flaring. "At least I promised to treat you right."

"You did promise," Deidara says, "but you haven't seemed to act on it yet."

Obito scoffs. "I don't need to," he says, "because you're not my mate yet."

"Am I just that to you?" Deidara asks. "Just an omega to claim, hm?"

"We don't have time for this," Obito warns. The hairs on the back of his neck are raised. He can feel the presence of other alphas.

Deidara shakes his head. "Take, take, take," he says, "that is all you know, huh, Tobi?"

Obito leaps down from the branch and Deidara takes an instinctive step backward. He doesn't continue to move away when Obito heads toward him. He even leans toward Obito's touch when he wraps his arm around his shoulders.

"Stop struggling," Obito mutters, though his gaze is trained behind Deidara, watching for any signs of movement. "We need to get this over with and then we can get on with our lives."

"Until I have my next heat and you have your ruts, hm," Deidara bites back.

"Omega's heats even out once they're mated, they don't come every month like everyone says they do," Obito says, pressing his mask against Deidara's neck. Even through the hard material of the mask, he can smell the budding scent Deidara is creating.

He can feel Deidara wanting to retort once more. Quickly, he moves his hand and rubs his fingers against the gland hidden in Deidara's neck. The reaction is even more instantaneous than before, and Deidara goes limp in his arms with a quiet moan.

Obito hoists Deidara up, carrying him bridal style. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see a few birds being startled into flight.

And before any alpha can burst into the clearing to challenge Obito, he activates Kamui and teleports the two of them away.

* * *

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	13. Chapter 13

Beta'd by SweetAlphaChild.

* * *

The base is empty, just like Pain had promised him.

Obito hurries to one of the bedrooms closest to the kitchen, laying down a still-pliant Deidara on the bed.

Before Deidara can rouse, Obito tears himself away from the burning omega and hurries into the kitchen. The cupboards and the fridge are stocked with food and water, as he had instructed Zetsu to do. He grabs an armful of water bottles and heads back to the bedroom.

The moment Obito steps into the room, Deidara lets out a soft moan and his head turns to his direction, though his gaze remains distant and hazy.

Perhaps relaxing the omega only hastened his heat.

Had Deidara been actively trying to fight back his heat?

Obito places the water bottles by the foot of the bed and hurries to Deidara's side, kneeling down and trying his best to ignore the thick scent.

"Are you feeling alright, senpai?" Tobi asks.

Deidara only moans in reply. He turns his head more, eyes watery and dark, boring deep into Obito's soul. Obito waits patiently for Deidara to answer him, swallowing thickly when Deidara shifts and a waft of his heat-thickened scent comes washing over him.

He doesn't realize what he's doing until he looks down.

Obito should not be surprised, but he finds himself stock-still as he notices Deidara's dick straining against his pants. Deidara lets out a quiet whine, a silent request, and Obito just nods once because he knows.

Deidara moans, glad that he has permission, and shoves his hand roughly into his pants. Obito cannot see very well with the pants in the way, but he knows Deidara is jerking himself off, given the frantic movements of his hand and the needy whines that are spilling from his lips.

Obito watches, transfixed, as Deidara's hand seems to quicken. He only looks away when Deidara lets out another whine, his other arm coming to wrap around Obito's neck and pulling him close.

"T-Tobi, hm," Deidara moans, mouthing along the edge of his mask.

"Deidara," Obito replies, voice gone hoarse and a little husky. He grunts when he is pulled in tighter, his own erection bumping against the side of the bed.

"Please," Deidara moans and then he trails off into a whine.

Obito, curious, turns his head and notices that Deidara is no longer stroking himself. Instead, he has reached further and—

Well, he's fingering himself.

Obito's mouth goes dry. He feels himself twitch in his pants and Obito cannot help but thrust his hips forward once, wanting any kind of friction on himself. The head of his penis bumps up against the side of the bed again, and although it brings him minimum pleasure, he continues to rub himself against the wood.

He reaches up, frenzied, and takes off his mask. Deidara gasps, though he does not have the ability or the time to take in Obito's face. Within seconds of taking off his mask and chucking it somewhere across the room, Obito leans forward and presses a bruising kiss on Deidara's lips.

The omega responds eagerly, parting his mouth and letting Obito lick into him. Obito presses a hand on Deidara's chest, just palming against the heated skin, and then Deidara comes with a choked off moan, his body tensing and arching.

Deidara breaks away from the kiss. He leans back on the bed and looks up at the ceiling, trying to catch his breath. Obito can hear the slick sound of Deidara pulling his fingers out of himself.

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Deidara's heat is coming in full force now, but his orgasm has brought them a few seconds of clarity.

"Tobi…"

Deidara's feeble voice jerks him back to reality and Obito opens his eyes, finding himself staring right into Deidara's eyes.

"Please…" Deidara mutters and he trails off, gazing into the distance. Obito waits for him to continue, but Deidara does not speak.

"What do you want?" Obito asks.

Deidara's eyes snap back to him, and his eyebrows furrow. "You…" Deidara says.

Obito leans back a little, pulling his hand back to scratch at his chin. "Yes," he says, clearing his throat.

Deidara's gaze trails down, eyes lingering at the broadness of Obito's chest, and says nothing. Soon, the omega begins to fidget once more and his scent grows sweeter.

"Quick," says Obito, hurrying to lift the upper part of Deidara's body up so that he faces him, "tell me what you want, I won't do it without your permission."

Deidara groans and tries to shake Obito away, pointedly not looking at Obito's face. "Just do it," he mutters. "Your kind doesn't care about consent, yeah."

"No," Obito says. He forces his eyes to stay on Deidara's face. "I care about it, okay? I promised I'd be different. I'm keeping my promise."

He watches as Deidara scrunches up his face and then, after a few long seconds, he says, "Alright, fine. I choose you to be my mate. I think it was always going to be you, anyway, hm."

At that, Obito leans forward and bites down, hard, on the gland in Deidara's neck until his teeth break the skin. Deidara's reaction is instant, bucking and moaning beneath him as the bond sets.

Obito doesn't let go. He laps at the wound, tasting the iron tang of blood, and sucks at it occasionally. Deidara, to his credit, doesn't complain. Instead, he writhes on the bed and both of his hands move to grab at Obito's shirt.

"Tobi," he moans. Obito knows his mind is already gone, drowning in the haze of his heat, so he obeys. He climbs onto the bed and sits between Deidara's spread legs.

Moving with purpose, Obito reaches out and tugs Deidara's pants and underwear down. He lifts both of his legs up to take them off. He tosses them across the room, and Deidara makes a noise of discomfort and shock.

Setting Deidara's legs down, Obito takes off his gloves and gives Deidara's bare thighs a gentle pat. "I'll take care of you, Deidara," he murmurs. "Don't worry."

Deidara's only response is a soft moan and a light shake of his head.

Obito wraps his hand around Deidara's erect cock, stroking it with a firm grip. He groans when Deidara arches at the contact. He looks his fill of Deidara's glistening hole, displayed as it is now.

His own dick straining for some friction, Obito moves forward and presses his cock against Deidara's cheeks. He grinds against Deidara's warmth, unable to help the guttural growl he lets out.

Deidara comes moments later, white ropes pulsing on to Obito's hand. Obito groans when he feels more slick ooze out of Deidara's entrance, smoothing his thrusts. He lets go of Deidara's cock.

Obito glances down at Deidara, who is watching him with heated eyes.

"You okay?" Obito groans out, his hips still working.

Deidara only licks his lips. He feels Deidara's hand touch his face, his thin fingers stroking his scars.

"How…?" Deidara mumbles, but he trails off.

Obito shakes his head. Deidara bites his lip and says nothing more. There is a certain look in his eye that makes Obito hesitant, but he doesn't stop.

He reaches down and holds himself in his hand, pressing the blunt head of his cock against Deidara's entrance.

"Hey," says Obito, when he sees Deidara tense up.

Deidara turns to look at him. He looks beautiful, Obito thinks. He admires the way the blush on Deidara's cheeks spreads down to his chest.

Without having to say anything else, Deidara gives Obito a little nod and then braces himself as Obito pushes in.

The heat that wraps around him is divine. Obito sucks in a deep breath through his teeth, his shoulders tensing as he strains to support his weight. Vaguely, he hears Deidara stifle a gasp and feels him arching his back.

Obito bends down and presses his nose against Deidara's mark, mouth opening slightly to breathe in their mingling scent. It spurs something within him. Obito begins to thrust, shoving himself roughly into his new mate's willing body.

Deidara response in kind, arching his body to let his alpha sink in easier. He gasps when Obito bites down on the mark again, giving it an occasional suck and lick.

It doesn't take long for Deidara to come once more. Obito grunts when he feels Deidara contract around him, at the same time that he spills between their bellies.

This time, Obito stops thrusting. He leans on his arms and peers at Deidara. Deidara is out of it, eyes staring straight across the room and at nothing in particular.

"You okay, baby?" Obito asks.

"Hm," replies Deidara. "Just do it."

Obito grunts. He waits for a few more seconds before picking up his pace again.

Deidara is hot, and tight, and he has never been inside an omega before. He has also never heard anyone make sounds quite as sweet as Deidara's.

It is divine.

Obito bites his bottom lip when he comes deep inside Deidara, digging his knees into the mattress to force himself even deeper. In the distance, he hears Deidara gasp and struggle, his fingers scraping uselessly against his back.

Taking hold of Deidara's hips, Obito tugs Deidara toward him and Deidara cries out. His knot is forming, expanding rapidly with each beat of his heart.

Deidara slides his hand down and digs his nails into Obito's arm, making Obito hiss and let go of his hips.

"What was that for?"

"For this," Deidara hisses in reply. The two of them flinch when Deidara contracts his muscles around his knot.

Obito clicks his tongue, but he finds that he is unable to become upset with his mate. "This is part of the mating process," he says. "You know this."

"Yeah, well, I haven't really thought about how much of a pain in the ass it was going to be, hm," Deidara replies, breathing heavily.

"Sorry," says Obito, because he doesn't know what else to say.

Deidara sighs, throwing his head back against the pillow and staring up at the ceiling. "It's fine," he says.

"Sorry," Obito says again, because it is the only thing he thinks he should say now.

Deidara continues to stare at the ceiling. "I know," he replies.

* * *

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	14. Chapter 14

Unbeta'd.

* * *

When he opens his eyes, all he sees is dust floating in the soft beam of sunlight filtering through the blinds.

He groans. He tries to turn but he finds that he is stuck, his cock still lodged inside of Deidara. Obito glances down on his chest, finding him resting peacefully there. Deidara's head rises and falls with every breath he takes.

Obito takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. He remembers last night. Moments after his first knot deflated, it didn't take long for Deidara's heat to kick in again. They barely had the time to eat and drink.

He opens his eyes and turns to the side. The plates of sliced fruits and water bottles lie empty on the floor. His stomach rumbles.

Obito heaves a sigh and Deidara stirs. He makes an adorable sound and rubs his cheek against Obito's chest, trying to burrow in deeper. Obito turns back to him and runs his fingers through Deidara's hair.

Deidara hums, then he shifts and both of them hiss.

"Fuck," Obito cusses under his breath. He presses a hand on the small of Deidara's back, forcing him to lie back down. "Sorry," he mumbles when the pain subsides.

Deidara huffs, pressing his cheek back on Obito's chest. "Sure, you are, hm," he says. His voice is rough and faint.

"How are you feeling?" Obito asks instead.

"Hm," mutters Deidara.

Obito leans back against the pillow. He doesn't need to ask Deidara how he's feeling. He can feel it through the bond. "I'll get you some water when I…" he trails off.

Deidara doesn't bother replying. He closes his eyes and goes back to sleep.

It takes a few moments until Obito fully softens. Slowly, he eases out of Deidara's body, careful not to wake up. He slides off the bed and tucks Deidara in. Obito puts on a pair of pants, then he picks up all the plates and bottles. He leaves the room and heads to the kitchen.

Obito refills the kettle and puts it on boil. As he cleans the plates, he feels Zetsu approach.

"Hello, Tobi," says White Zetsu.

"What do you want?" Obito asks.

"Was the bonding successful?" Black Zetsu rasps.

Obito sighs. "It was."

"That's good to hear," Black Zetsu replies. "Konan wants to see you."

"I don't want to talk to her right now." Obito picks up a towel and dries the plates. He stores all but one and puts the remaining one on the counter. He grabs another two apples from the fridge and starts chopping them.

"We can stall her," White Zetsu says, "but you're going to have to talk to her eventually."

Obito just nods. He places the sliced apples on the plate and grabs another two bottles of water. He pours the boiled water into the empty bottles and puts them into the fridge.

"I'll meet with her tonight," Obito says, picking up the plate and the bottles. "Tell her to wait for me by the tree."

Zetsu is quiet for a moment, then he nods and says, "Okay. Where's your mask?"

"It's in the bedroom."

Obito leaves the kitchen without waiting for Zetsu to leave. He goes back to the bedroom and finds Deidara sitting upright on the bed. He is rubbing at his neck — rubbing at his mark.

"Hey," Tobi calls out.

Deidara doesn't reply. Obito sits by him and places down the plate on the nightstand. He uncaps a water bottle and offers it to Deidara.

Deidara looks at him and Obito feels something sour in his mouth. He licks his lips. Deidara takes the bottle from him and drinks.

"How're you feeling?" Obito asks Deidara again when he finishes the bottle. Deidara only grabs the plate and starts eating the apple.

Obito sighs through his nose. He lets Deidara eat. His stomach growls by the final slice and it makes Deidara pause. Deidara glances at him and then looks at the final slice of apple in his hand.

"Don't mind me," Tobi says quickly. He uncaps the other water bottle and takes a sip from it. "I've got water," he says.

Deidara clenches his teeth but he does not disobey his alpha. He eats the final slice.

"So," Obito says, twisting the cap back on the bottle. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Deidara bites out.

"Want to take a shower?"

"Yes," sighs Deidara.

Obito stands and helps Deidara to the shower. His legs are a little wobbly and he leans most of his weight on Obito. He gets Deidara in the shower and turns on the water, letting it warm up before angling the spray.

Deidara does not complain as Obito showers him. Obito washes his hair and he rubs lotion into his skin, mindful of the area between his legs. Obito takes his time, rinsing out the leaking remnants of his cum, and then he dries him.

"I want a bath next time, hm," Deidara mutters into the towel.

Obito can't help but let out a bitter laugh. "Sure, senpai. Anything you want."

Deidara tenses.

Obito bites his tongue and helps Deidara back to the bedroom. He fishes out some fresh clothes and dresses his omega, who obediently sits on the floor, waiting to be serviced.

When everything's done, Deidara scrunches up his nose and says, "Make the bed and then clean yourself, hm."

Obito rolls his eyes. The alpha doesn't object, however, and does as he's told. It's the only way he can think of that will appease his omega now.

He grabs the sullied sheets and tosses them into a pile in the corner of the room. Obito grabs new, fresh sheets and makes the bed. It takes him a while, but he eventually manages to fit the comforter properly and then he lays everything out.

"There," he says, mostly to himself. Deidara huffs, somewhere behind him, and Obito turns to grab the dirtied sheets.

He heads out of the bedroom and manages to find his way to where the washing machine is. He shoves everything into the machine, checks the detergent box, and then turns everything on. When he hears the door lock, Obito sighs, and heads back to the bedroom.

Deidara is lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He's rubbing at his neck again.

Obito pretends he's not staring when Deidara turns to watch him. He grabs some fresh clothes and heads to the bathroom.

When he comes out, Deidara is sitting against the wall this time. There is a distant look in his eyes as he stares into space. His arms are crossed.

"Can we talk now?" asks Obito.

Deidara's eyes flicker to him and then down to the floor. He purses his lips and, in a subtle movement, nods.

Obito sits down beside Deidara, but he keeps a distance and potions himself at the edge of the bed. He angles himself in a way so that Deidara can see the front of his body and both of his hands.

Deidara draws his legs up to his chest and wraps his arms around them. He speaks before Obito can find the opportunity to and says, "You're not who you say you are, Tobi, hm."

"I'm not," Obito admits. He wants to reach out and comfort his mate, his distress leaving a bad taste in his mouth. "But I want you to know that you can still trust me. I've not changed."

Deidara shakes his head. "Somehow, I find that hard to believe, with the way that you were acting these past few days."

Obito clenches his jaw. "I know," he says. "It's just my impulses. I can't… It's hard to control them. You're…"

"What? An _omega_?" Deidara spits as if the word is venom.

"No," says Obito.

"Are you going to finally tell me why you are always lying, then?" Deidara asks after a while.

Obito looks down at his hands. He picks at his nails. "I think you already know why I am always lying, senpai."

"I don't," Deidara lies.

He smiles to himself, still looking down. "You want to hear it from me, don't you?"

"I'll only believe it with explicit confirmation, hm."

Obito laughs. He clears his throat and says, "I'm… I'm an Uchiha and my real name is Obito."

Deidara looks away.

"I know how you feel about the Uchiha but there's nothing I can do about my family name."

"No," Deidara says. "That's not what I want to hear, hm."

"Then what do you want to hear?" Obito asks. "I can't read your mind."

Deidara glances at him. "Yes, you can."

"No, I can't," Obito says. "I can guess approximately what you're feeling, but that's it. I can't tell what's on your mind."

Deidara clicks his tongue. He hugs his legs closer to him. "Tell me about your scars, hm," Deidara says.

Obito swallows. "It happened in the third war," he says. "I was trying to rescue my teammate." An image of her flashes in his mind. His heart clenches but it doesn't hurt as much as it did before.

Deidara, however, flinches in his seat, then he turns to glare at him. "It's the beta you mentioned before, isn't it, hm?"

"She died before her coming of age, we don't know if she's a beta or not," Obito says.

"That's not the point, Obito."

Obito suppresses a shiver. "Yes, she's the one," he says.

"Hm," Deidara hums.

"Don't be jealous," Obito says.

Deidara frowns. "I'm not jealous, hm."

"Sure," Obito says. "Just so we're clear, she's dead."

"I know she's dead, you said it already," Deidara snaps. "Now keep going."

Obito purses his lips, giving Deidara a look, but he continues. "We were ambushed by an Iwagakure squadron"—Deidara flinches at the mention of his old village—"and they caused a cave-in. I didn't… make it out in time and I caught under the rubble."

He falls quiet then, and Deidara reaches out to him. Obito lets him hold his hand, but he pulls away after a while.

"I was left there and I accepted that I was going to die, but somehow I was saved. I gathered my strength the entire time and when I heard that my teammates were in danger… I had to go help them."

"That's when you watched her die, yeah?" Deidara asks, his voice as quiet as his own.

Obito closes his eyes. He sees her again. He nods.

"I can see her, you know," Deidara says.

Obito cracks a smile. "I hope that's okay."

"She shaped who you are," says Deidara, looking at the other side of the room. "I have to be okay with it." He pauses. "Besides," he says, gesturing to his neck, "there's no need to feel threatened now, hm."

Obito's smile falters.

Deidara shrugs. "It would have been you anyway."

"Yeah, I heard the first time," Obito says. "I don't really know if I understand that."

"There's no need for you to understand that, Obito."

Obito laughs at his tone. "Maybe one day I will."

"Maybe one day I will too," Deidara says. "Now, bring me more fruit, I'm hungry."

Obito laughs again and gets up from the bed. "Alright, my dear omega," he says and leaves for more fruit.

* * *

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	15. Chapter 15

Konan turns around before Obito even fully materializes.

"Madara," Konan says. Her arms are crossed, and she smells of disapproval.

"What do you want?" Obito asks. Konan doesn't respond to him until he is fully materialized.

"So, you bonded with him?"

"You already know that I did," says Obito. "Just cut to the chase. What do you want?"

"I quit," Konan says.

"What?"

"I quit and I'm taking Nagato with me. I know what you're doing, Madara. You've just been taking advantage of us, of what the Akatsuki used to be, just like how you took advantage of Deidara."

"I—" Obito bites his lower lip. "I never took advantage of him. I didn't mean to trigger his heat. It was all just a series of unfortunate events. I never did anything he, or anyone, didn't want."

"How do you know what he wants?" Konan hisses. "You're like every other alpha. You don't care about anyone but yourself and you just take whatever you want."

Obito clenches his teeth. He steps closer to Konan, but the beta stands her ground. "You don't know what you're talking about, Konan. I'm just trying to help."

Konan lets out a laugh, one dripping with coldness and without humor. "Is that what you're calling it nowadays, Madara?"

"I'm telling the truth."

"Sure," she says. "Well, enjoy helping yourself out, but I'll be your pawn no longer."

Obito takes a step forward and Konan attacks him. He dodges her paper shurikens and stands back.

"Listen to me, Konan," Obito says, voice low. "You don't want to do this."

"Are you threatening me?" Konan asks. She narrows her eyes.

Obito puts his hands to the side, showing her his palms and relaxing his stance. "No, no," he says, "I'm not doing that at all. I'm just telling you that you don't want to do this."

Konan raises an eyebrow.

"You'll regret it," he says, "and it's not me who will make you feel that way."

"So you are threatening me."

"There are things beyond my control, Konan," says Obito. "I'm only trying to keep things less troublesome so that everything will go more smoothly."

"I don't care what you want to do, Madara," Konan says. "You're not using us any longer. We're leaving and there's nothing you can do to stop us."

"Don't do this," Obito says. He doesn't try to approach Konan again. "Deidara will wonder where you are," he tries.

Konan flashes him a toothy smile. "Well, you're just going to have to explain it to him, then."

Obito watches as Konan starts peeling, transforming into paper butterflies that flutter into the air. He watches until all the paper butterflies are gone, and then he turns around to face Zetsu.

"Can it," Obito says.

"No," Black Zetsu says. "You said it won't affect the plan."

"It's not affecting the plan."

"We need Konan and Pain."

"I'll _deal_ with it," Obito hisses, but Zetsu doesn't move. He stands there with his emotionless eye. Obito glances at White Zetsu, who just gives him a sheepish grin.

"You better deal with this—"

"—I already said I would—"

"—because it doesn't look like you have everything under control," Black Zetsu finishes.

Obito clicks his tongue. He crosses his arms and stares at him. "If you are so worried," he says, "then why don't you do something about it? You've just been sitting on your ass while you wait for someone else, like me, to do everything for you. This is what _you_ want, isn't it? Then why don't you do something for once?"

"Who are you to demand things from me?" Black Zetsu asks, stern. "You are fully aware of everything you have to do the moment you agreed to it."

"Things changed."

Zetsu stands there. For a moment, it looks like he's in pain. Then, White Zetsu speaks up. "You know, I think people can change. That's part of being human, right? Time changes everything and maybe not all changes are bad—"

"Shut up," Black Zetsu says. He turns to Obito and his lone, circular eye no longer looks expressionless. "Fix this," he demands. "You have two days. If not, someone is going to regret being born at all."

"I don't think that's really necessary—" White Zetsu cuts off as they disappear underground.

Obito stands there, alone, and stares at the ground where Zetsu was. He stands until he feels Deidara wondering where he is, and then he disappears into the night.

* * *

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